I am guessing some sort of viper or python but I do not think it is ever specified.
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ChadApr 9 '12 at 15:54

Boa constrictors are not venomous. If you can find, link to, and source that interview, I'd be glad reconsider. :)
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SlytherincessApr 9 '12 at 21:11

3

I always assumed that Nagini, like Crookshanks, was a magical incarnation of your average animal. While Crookshanks appears to be just an average cat, JKR makes it clear that he is not and I assumed Nagini was the same way. I have absolutely no basis for this other than pure conjecture.
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Meg CoatesApr 10 '12 at 13:44

1

So, I did some looking around and there are some species of snakes who are poisonous that are also known to sometimes constrict. Lachesis muta muta is a species of pit viper found in Central America that has been known to grow up to 12 feet long, but I have only found one reference for this particular species constricting its prey. However, this particular genus is nocturnal and doesn't interact with humans very frequently so it could be that it hasn't been observed constricting by very many people.
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Meg CoatesApr 10 '12 at 13:48

I know you don't like the HP wiki, but they say "There is no known species of venomous snake matching Nagini's description," and I'm inclined to agree.
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Kevin♦Aug 25 '12 at 0:33

3 Answers
3

Okay. I believe I have deduced what species Nagini is, if she is indeed a normal snake, and not some obscure type of magical creature.

From the HP Wiki (I realize the Wiki is not reliable on matters of canon, but I have verified this separately): (Hindi: nāginī, pronounced [ˈnɑːɡɪniː]; variant of Hindi: nāgin, a female cobra, from Hindi/Sanskrit: nāg, a cobra). Nagini's name is almost a direct conjugation of the Hindi word for female cobra.

Her description in the book does NOT match her depiction in the movies. According to Harry Potter: A Pop-Up Book, the filmmakers chose to depict her as a "burmese python." (I assume the pop-up book is not pulling that out of its backside.)

Nagini is described in the books as female, green skinned, hooded, extremely venomous via some type of neurotoxin, and roughly twelve feet long, and thick as a man's thigh. This fits the description of an olive-green king cobra, in every aspect but the length and thickness. Large king cobras are capable of exceeding six feet in length, but this is uncommon. The Engorgio charm would be capable of increasing an object to roughly twice its normal size, based upon its seen usage.

I believe Nagini is a permanently Engorgio'd king cobra, or in her case, queen cobra. :)

My only issue with this answer is that King Cobra venom doesn't have anti-coagulant properties.
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Pureferret♦Jan 12 '14 at 20:13

@Pureferret: We know that wounds made by dark magic are harder to heal. Could that, rather than the venom, cause the problems with Mr. Weasley's wounds?
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b_jonasFeb 9 at 8:11

@b_jonas are you implying that his wound was dark-magicked after he was bitten or that Nagini's was magically augmented? I guess any number of things could have been changed about Nagini (she could have been a slow worm to start with...) but I'm trying to make as few assumptions as possible.
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Pureferret♦Feb 9 at 8:16

@b_jonas and I realise this answer and mine make about as many assumptions.
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Pureferret♦Feb 9 at 8:27

Yes, I am implying that the Dark Lord has magically augmented Nagini's abilities. Sure, it would be better to find a snake that matches without any alterations, but if we can't find an exact match, I'd prefer one where the changes have precedent in the books, such as growing the size of animals to larger as the impostor Moody does with the spiders for demonstration.
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b_jonasFeb 9 at 8:58

Again on Wikipedia, its venom is described as having anticoagulant effects. In fact it's noted to be likely the most dangerous snake to be found in Europe.

I initially disregarded the snake as it was far too small to be Nagini, but if such a snake was the subject of Dark Magic who's to say it couldn't be permanently enlarged, giving it the capability and the sapience to constrict? That would be a dangerous snake.

I'd be interested in a citation for that, since it answers my question. As it is, it's speculation.
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Gabe WillardApr 13 '12 at 20:41

I'm basing it on this. More research tomorrow!
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Pureferret♦Apr 13 '12 at 21:18

Vipera ammodytes is described as being "usually ash gray in males & gray-brown or brick-red in females." Nagini was described as female and green in the books.
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Gabe WillardApr 14 '12 at 15:34

@GabeWillard there are no naturally occuring green vipers in albania. Nagini is just unique.
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Pureferret♦Apr 14 '12 at 16:08

2

You gave a good answer -- thank you for that and +1 :) I had such a hard time deciding on this question, but Gabe Willard's answer ended up being just a bit closer to what I think canon supports.
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SlytherincessMay 18 '12 at 4:04

From the patterning on her back, the head shape and and size, I'm going to say Nagini is indeed a reticulated python based character. The fact of venom could just be Voldemort's magic, right? I will post two pictures, one of Nagini and another of a reticulated python and I will point out the similarities between the two:

This is Nagini, one of the better pictures I could find that showed her true coloring/patterning

This is a reticulated python guarding a clutch of eggs as you can see there are massive similarities to the patterns, head shape. etc

Next I will prove whoever said that the snake that Harry Potter let free turned out to be Nagini, and the fact that it was a boa constrictor wrong. It was a caramel Burmese python. So they are two different (but much alike) species of snake. They are different and cannot be the same snake.

This is the snake that Harry released. And originally found out he could speak Parseltongue.

Looking at the square patterning, the coloring, and the fact that I know my constrictors, this snake is a hypomelanistic Burmese python. Here is a picture of a hypomelanistic Burmese python, as you can see they are exactly the same: